Who You Must Protect
by Matahari
Summary: When Tenten's mother dies in the line of duty, Neji is given the task to protect her. As they grow up from students in the Academy to actual ninjas, see what happens as they get closer to one another. Chapter 13 up! R&R! NejiTen
1. Who You Must Protect

**Author's Note: **Hi All! This is my first NejiTen story. Let me know if you like it and think I should continue by reviewing. I sort of have a plot in mind, but am still developing it. Thanks for reading!

**Summary: **Tenten finds out that her mother has died from a white-eyed stranger, who turns out to be Hyuuga Hizashi. Before Neji and Tenten start the Academy for the first time, Hizashi asks Neji to assist him in protecting someone important. What happens through the years as Tenten and Neji grow up?

**Chapter 1: Who You Must Protect**

Tenten laid down in her bed listening to the sounds of the cool night breeze made when it blew past the leaves of the sukura trees. She was going to start attending the Academy tomorrow and while she had been excited about this for the last year, it now seemed unimportant in the context of what had just happened last week. A tear silently slipped down her cheek and she did not wipe it away. Tears had long become a common occurrence since her mother had died. The warm salty liquid dried in the crisp air while she remembered the day that everything changed.

_Seven Days Ago..._

Somebody was knocking on the door. Was kaa-san back from her mission? She had promised that she would bring back something as she always did from her visit to the Water country.

Sometimes it was a feather from a magnificent bird or a unique wildflower found within the depths of a forest. Other times, to her greatest delight, her mother would give her a weapon that had been abandoned in the aftermath of a fight. Tenten loved these the most and would always rush to her room to admire the workmanship and compare the designs to the others in her growing collection. Her mother would even teach her how to use each item with accuracy and speed.

She glanced at the window momentarily and saw a full moon before opening the door and shouting, "Okaeri nasai!" (Welcome home!). However, she stepped back hesitantly upon seeing an unfamiliar masked figure instead of her loving mother. He was obviously ANBU as he wore the long black hooded cloaks that they did and an image of a bird's face adorned the otherwise plain mask.

"Are you Tenten-chan?", he asked. She nodded her head looking curiously up at the man. He knelt down to her level and lifted his mask. His white eyes reflected the moonlight as he paused. When he told her about her mother, she stood silent and still. The look of shock and disbelief only visible in her face and eyes. Slowly, she started to tremble, the vibrations wracking her body until she could barely stand. She collapsed into the man's arms, sobbing uncontrollably as he awkwardly held her. With all his experience with fighting and death, he still did not know what else to do for the poor little girl before him who had just lost her world.

Hizashi walked to his son's room within the complex maze of sliding doors of the Hyuuga compound. It was late, but he knew Neji would still be awake listening the sounds of the nightingale outside of his window waiting for his father to return. It was their tradition. Neji would attentively listen while Hizashi gave an account of the mission before peacefully falling asleep. Tonight, however, he dreaded telling Neji about what had happened earlier today. He went over to sit down on Neji's bed and patted the place next to him. Neji moved over to the side of the bed, his legs dangling. He was surprised when his father suddenly gave him a quick hug, saying, "Just remember, no matter what I will always love you and be here for you".

Neji was confused. "Father, what happened today?" Hizashi took a breath. "Do you remember what I told you about your mother?" Neji considered this, and replied, "Yes. You said that she wasn't able to be with me when I was born, but she loved me. You said she would help you take care of me even if I couldn't see her". Hizashi closed his eyes as he heard his son repeat his words to the letter. "Yes, Neji. That's exactly it. I want you to do something for me. A... friend of mine asked me for a favor. There is a little girl the same age as you who now has nobody to protect her or care about her like you do. I need you to assist me with something. You are a strong boy and this will help you become stronger."

_Back to the Present..._

Neji was walking to the Academy with his father for the first day of school. He noticed that almost everyone had a parent or two leading them in to the classrooms. However, one little girl stood apart. She had a little pink shirt on (Chinese-style) with green capri pants and her hair put up in two buns on the side of her head. She walked slowly and looked around every once and awhile when she wasn't staring at her feet. A small smile showed on her face, but this was not reflected in her eyes. Neji tugged on his father's sleeve and whispered, "That girl seems lonely." while nodding in the direction of the girl he had been watching. Hizashi looked at the girl and turned toward Neji. "Yes, that is the girl you must protect."


	2. First Day at the Academy

**Title: **Who You Must Protect

**Author: **Matahari

**Rating: **T (just in case)

**Pairing: **NejiTen

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Naruto anime, manga, plotlines, or any of the characters therein (translate to Japanese please). :)

**Summary: **Tenten finds out that her mother has died from a white-eyed stranger, who turns out to be Hyuuga Hizashi. Before Neji and Tenten start the Academy for the first time, Hizashi asks Neji to assist him in protecting someone important. What happens through the years as Tenten and Neji grow up?

**Author's Note: **I'm trying to keep this in character and along the main plotline of the Naruto anime series although there may be some slight creative interpretations on my part. Just for clarification, Hizashi did not kill Tenten's mother. He just is the one who told Tenten that she died. I decided to put up another chapter for you to get the flavor of the story and to make this more clear, but it seems to be dragging so slowly! Oh well, good things come to those who wait right? Please review if you think I should continue and tell me what you think!

_Recap from Last Chapter..._

Neji tugged on his father's sleeve and whispered, "That girl seems lonely." while nodding in the direction of the girl he had been watching. Hizashi looked at the girl and turned toward Neji. "Yes, that is the girl you must protect."

**Chapter 2: First Day at the Academy**

Tenten sat in the middle of the classroom, figuring that it was the least conspicuous place. Not really the front of the class where all the diligent and bookwormy students sat, but not in the back where all the lazy troublemakers were either. She didn't really know what to expect as it was her first day, but she brought out a pencil and a notebook and placed them on the desk. She wrote her name on the notebook and then sat quietly while noticing the hustle and bustle of the classroom. Parents were bringing in their children, introducing themselves to Iruka-sensei, kissing their respective children on their foreheads, leaving them with lunches, and waving goodbye for the day. She wondered what it would have been like if her mother had still been here... had been able to bring to school. She wondered what she would have told her or what food she would have made. What would she have said to Iruka-sensei? Tenten gave a small sigh of longing not noticing that someone had silently taken the seat next to hers.

Neji placed his bag on the floor next to his chair. He gave a short glance at the girl seated next to him. She seemed lost in thought and was gazing at the front of the room where the sensei were speaking to various parents. She had a light pink notebook (which matched her shirt) and on the cover had written, "Tenten" with a slash underneath. He figured that was her name. He mouthed the word quietly to himself and he decided that it suited her. When class finally started, Iruka-sensei introduced himself and Mizuki-sensei.

"Welcome to Konoha Academy! We are all pleased to have you here as prospective ninjas of our great Fire Country. My name is Iruka-sensei and this is Mizuki-sensei and we will be teaching you what you need to know to graduate. There are many different levels of ninja. The first is the genin level, which is what you will become if you graduate. The second level is chunnin, which is what both Mizuki-sensei and I are, and then there are jounins and ANBU and other special ops units. As genin, you are required to know the basics of being a ninja. Let's start off with chakra."

Iruka pulled down a chart hanging from the wall which displayed the outline of a human with a myriad of lines and dots within the body finishing with a fire-like entity within the middle. "This is the chakra circulatory system. Everyone has one, but none are the same. The dots along the network are like valves and are places where chakra can be affected. These are called tenketsu. Often times these can be used as points for release of chakra. If you are able to accurately determine where these tenketsu are located, you can even speed up or slow down chakra based on your will. However, this is a very limited skill and the only known ability to see these points is the Byuukugan, which is a bloodline limit of the Hyuuga clan of Fire Country itself. We are lucky today to have a real member of the illustrious Hyuuga clan with us in our class today". Iruka quickly flipped through a pad of notes and scrolled down a list of names. "Hyuuga, Neji? Can you please raise your hand?" Neji sighed. It was very difficult to be inconspicuous when his eyes were so different. He slowly raised his hand.

Tenten looked towards the front to see if she could see this Hyuuga. She was surprised when she realized there was someone sitting next to her and he in fact was raising his hand in response to Iruka-sensei's question. He had relatively long dark brown, almost chocolate hair just tied back at the bottom. He had navy blue shorts and a beige cloak. His eyes were familiar to her- great white/lavender orbs which reflected light. She remembered the ANBU comrade of her mother's who had comforted her that moonlight night. "Are they related?", she wondered.


	3. Learning to Throw Kunai

**Title: **Who You Must Protect

**Author: **Matahari

**Rating: **T (just in case)

**Pairing: **NejiTen

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Naruto anime, manga, plotlines, or any of the characters therein (translate to Japanese please). :)

**Summary: **Tenten finds out that her mother has died from a white-eyed stranger, who turns out to be Hyuuga Hizashi. Before Neji and Tenten start the Academy for the first time, Hizashi asks Neji to assist him in protecting someone important. What happens through the years as Tenten and Neji grow up?

**Author's Note: **_Inner Matahari - _I want some lovin'! Why aren't Neji and Tenten kissing by now? _Outer Matahari_ - Be quiet! I need a lot more character development. They're only like ten years old! I'm trying my best. Deal with it:)Please review and tell me what you think!

_Recap from Last Chapter..._

His eyes were familiar to her- great white/lavender orbs which reflected light. She remembered the ANBU comrade of her mother's who had comforted her that moonlight night. "Are they related?", she wondered.

**Chapter 3: Learning to Throw Kunai**

"Neji, would you be able to demonstrate the Byukugan for the class? It's ok if you haven't learned it yet." asked Iruka. Neji gave a slight nod and walked to the front of the class resolutely. "Byakugan!" he said softly. There were several feminine gasps throughout the room. Upon reflection, he supposed the bulging veins that appeared on the sides of his head were a little disturbing for someone who was seeing it for the first time and quickly released the jutsu. When taking a moment to look towards his seat, he noticed that Tenten seemed unfazed, even curious, about his ability unlike the other girls in the class. "Neji- could you explain what you can see to the class?" Again, Neji nodded and took a breath before speaking, "It's very similar to what Iruka-sensei showed on the board. Except that I can see the chakra actually moving through the tenketsu and throughout the body. I can see through what points each of the chakra flows and what organs of the body are associated with it. I can also identify weak points within the chakra circulatory system. That is, areas where there is less chakra flow".

"Thank you, Neji. That was very informative. You may now go back to your seat" said Iruka before going back to the lecture. Neji tried to return to his seat as quickly as possible. He was not used being the center of attention at the Hyuuga compound so this was a new experience. Once seated, he quickly opened his notebook and pretended to take some notes. The girl next to him whispered softly, "I think that's amazing" before going back to her own writing. Neji found himself unconsciously smiling when his attention was again drawn towards what Iruka-sensei was saying.

_Later that Day.._

The lunch bell rang as the clock struck noon. Almost everyone rushed out of the room and with their lunches in hand, except for Tenten and Neji. Tenten hadn't brought her lunch. She would probably wait until she got home and ate. But she did grab a little cloth pack with her before leaving the classroom. Neji saw that Tenten was not in a rush to leave and slowly retrieved his lunch. The maids had had it prepared for him before he went to the Academy in the morning and he wasn't sure what it contained. Even though his father had directed him to watch this girl, based on his own observations, she definitely seemed to be an entity worthy of study.

Tenten went past the eating area where all the other children were and deeper into the outlying forest. A few paces back, Neji followed amidst whispers of, "Do you see him? They call him the Hyuuga prodigy." and "My dad told me that girl has no parents". He ignored these comments and wondered where the girl before him was headed. Tenten finally stopped at at a training ground surrounded by dummies with targets on all parts of their bodies. She unfurled the flap on the cloth pack she had carried with her and delicately took out an object that glinted silver in the sunlight. Upon closer inspection, it was a kunai. She wistfully twirled it in her hand noticing the way it creating rainbows as it reflected the light. She remembered the time her mother had brought home this kunai. It was the first weapon that she had ever brought back from a mission and therefore it was Tenten's favorite.

_Flashback_

"Tenten-chan! Where are you? Tadaima! (I'm back!)"

Tenten heard her mother's lilting voice as she opened the door. She eagerly ran towards the front of the apartment and into her mother's open arms. She nuzzled into her mothers neck, and reached up to grab a tie on the traditional Konoha leaf headband on her mother's head. Her mother laughed and untied it, then placing it on Tenten's own little head. "Ah, Tenten-chan! You want to be a ninja just like mama, ne?" Tenten nodded emphatically. She wanted to be just like her mother! Brave and strong as well as beautiful.

"This is a kunai. It will be a good tool for you when you become a ninja." her mother said as she handed Tenten a strange metal object. "Make sure to hold it at this ring area. The other part will cut and hurt you". Tenten marveled at the kunai and remembered when her mother was practicing and had thrown objects like these at a target. "Mama! Can you show me how to use it? I want to get it in the middle of the circle on the tree in the backyard just like you do!"

Whhhhzzzzp! A kunai went spiraling into the center of the target next to two others which were off by mere centimeters. Tenten jumped up and down while her mother smiled at the same time looking surprised. She didn't expect Tenten to do so well her first try. "Great job, Tenten-chan! Come here now. It's time for some rest." Her mother gazed lovingly at the little girl on her lap and brushed her mussed hair with her fingers, carefully tying them into two perfect buns on the side of her head. "You know Tenten-chan, someday you are going to be a very strong and beautiful kunoichi, maybe even more so than Tsunade-sama! I don't know what I will do with all the boys who will be chasing you!" her mother teased.

Tenten blushed slightly and shook her head. "No mama! I don't want any boys to chase me! But who is Tsunade-sama? Is she really a great ninja? No one could be greater than you!"

"Tenten-chan! You are so good to me." Tenten's mother smiled at her daughter. "Tsunade-sama is a very strong legendary kunoichi from the Fire Country..."

_End Flashback_

Tenten grasp the handle of the first kunai and two others just as her mother had taught her and instinctively drew back the weapons, aimed, and forcefully released them into the center of the farthest training dummies. They did not miss their marks. A figure standing a few paces behind her opened his eyes widely in surprise and awe.

**Note to Readers: **Thanks to **Mareno Mikato****, darkinnocence, earthlover, tomboy901, m e h - m e h, Wise Angel192, Mimi, and last but not least Kyota-chan** for reviewing! They made me decide to keep on writing! (but that doesn't mean you should stop either ;) ) Please keep on reviewing to see if you like the way that this story is going. I tried to give reasoning behind why Tenten wants to be like Tsunade-sama and her interest in weapons, which was the purpose of this chapter. Plus, I was able to put in a little bit of NejiTen. Hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Memorable Eyes

**Title: **Who You Must Protect

**Author: **Matahari

**Rating: **T (just in case)

**Pairing: **NejiTen

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Naruto anime, manga, plotlines, or any of the characters therein (translate to Japanese please). :)

**Summary: **Tenten finds out that her mother has died from a white-eyed stranger, who turns out to be Hyuuga Hizashi. Before Neji and Tenten start the Academy for the first time, Hizashi asks Neji to assist him in protecting someone important. What happens through the years as Tenten and Neji grow up?

**Author's Note: **I wanted to get this up on 10/10, but maybe it was performance anxiety or writer's block and I wasn't able to. Sorry this came out so late! I wanted it to make it longer, but that would have taken more time... and I thought it would just be better to post it since it was a natural ending anyway.

_Recap from Last Chapter..._

Tenten grasp the handle of the first kunai and two others just as her mother had taught her and instinctively drew back the weapons, aimed, and forcefully released them into the center of the farthest training dummies. They did not miss their marks. A figure standing a few paces behind her opened his eyes widely in surprise and awe.

**Chapter 4: Memorable Eyes  
**

Neji was amazed to see the girl's kunai hit the center of the farthest three targets. As Tenten stepped back to survey her work, she began to sense a foreign presence behind her. "Hyuuga-san" she said quietly, not turning her head. "You're good" Neji said simply as he started spreading out his lunch on a grassy patch next to the training ground. "Arigato." (Thank you.) replied Tenten her head lowered and her bangs shadowing her eyes, "My mother taught me". Tenten sounded a little strained as she brought up the subject of her mother, but displayed a small rueful smile on her face.

"She trained you well." Neji stated before sitting down cross-legged next to his bento box lunch. The maids had packed several rice balls with salted salmon and nori, a fried pork cutlet cooked with ginger, pickled daikon radish, and some cut asian pears, kiwis, plums, and raspberries. He waved his hand over the food asking, "Are you hungry? I won't be able to eat this all".

Tenten a short glance at the food while the air wafted the appetizing smell in her general direction. She did not have her lunch, but at the same time she didn't want to be accepting anyone's handouts. "Thank you, but I don't think..." However, before she could finish her sentence, her stomach gave a betraying growl and she blushed. Neji gave her a small smirk while asking, "You were saying?" before she finally relented.

They sat in silence for awhile, both chewing their food thoughtfully. Tenten glanced at her new acquaintence and couldn't help but stare at his eyes, remembering...

_Flashback_

"I apologize. I could not save her." he said lowering his head remorsefully as he held the small whimpering girl in his arms. As the tears started to subside, she looked towards him and into his snow-white eyes asking, "Did you know my mother? How... how did she die?" A long moment of silence passed before Hizashi opened his mouth to speak, sounding pained. "I knew her. She... _was everything to me_. She and I were teammates. We used to train together constantly. She used to say that we would help each other become stronger - that our complementary skills were made for it... _but I guess that it wasn't enough_."

He took a deep breath before continuing, "It all happened so suddenly. It was supposed to be a routine scouting assignment. We were passing just beyond the Fire country's border on the southern side. The enemy was smart. A thick mist mysteriously enveloped us upon entering their territory and there were clones to distract me and my Byakugan -- a skill in my family which allows me to see farther and better than normal eyes. We had split up, with me drawing the enemy away from your mother so she could get to higher ground and launch her weapons attacks. It was a mistake. We should never have separated from each other. I attacked the enemy one by one, but they all seemed to be clones. What I didn't realize was that I was being carefully led towards a small puddle. The true shinobi was there... laying in wait all this time. He managed to send a set of shuriken straight to my blind spot, but your mother, with perfect aim as always, managed to make it miss any vital organs by hitting it with a kunai at the last moment. However, it was still too much for me and I was knocked out. I don't know what happened before I woke up, but all I know is that your mother died a brave and honorable death for Konoha. The last thing she did before she died was make sure that the enemy could never bother Konoha again. She saved me... _in more ways than this one. _I am forever in her debt... and yours_."  
_

Tenten looked curiously a the man who seemed to have known her mother so well. She felt a little better knowing that her mother had not died of for no reason and had fought for someone who was important to her. She knew that her mother wouldn't have wanted it any other way. But still, she ached with the feeling of loss. She looked into those pale white eyes and somehow knew that he was feeling the same.

_End Flashback_

**Note to Readers: **Thanks to aizuhime, teenagewolveslover, Notlistening, Fire-Demon-Kirara, tomboy901, Aikiko-Ashra, m e h - m e h, 'A 'lusy, I. bLoodY vEngEfUl sOul, Juliette Fox, and MyFallenAngel for reviewing. If I missed anyone, I'm sorry - I love you all too! I'm so happy some of my favorite authors reviewed! I hope you guys aren't mad at me for not posting quick enough hides head in shame. Anyway, hopefully the powers that be will make sure the next chapter is up quicker! Hope you liked it!


	5. The Proposal

**Title: **Who You Must Protect  
**Author: **Matahari  
**Rating: **T (just in case)  
**Pairing: **Neji/Tenten (may include other minor pairings in the future)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Naruto anime, manga, plotlines, or any of the characters therein (translate to Japanese please). :)

**Chapter Upload Date: 11/23/06**

**Author's Note: **Sorry for not uploading sooner! I have been extremely busy with school and work. However, this chapter IS a little longer to make up or it. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Let me know what you think, all right? Feel free to message me any suggestions or ideas for upcoming chapters. Thanks to all the reviewers for reviewing. It really makes me happy happy. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! And yes to that person who thinks that I am inferring a relationship between both Tenten and Neji's parents. History often repeats itself, ne?

_Recap from Last Chapter..._

Tenten looked curiously a the man who seemed to have known her mother so well. She felt a little better knowing that her mother had not died of for no reason and had fought for someone who was important to her. She knew that her mother wouldn't have wanted it any other way. But still, she ached with the feeling of loss. She looked into those pale white eyes and somehow knew that he was feeling the same.

_End Flashback_

**Chapter 5: The Proposal  
**

Tenten was distracted and seemed to be staring at something not quite there. Her gaze turned to Neji and lingered for a considerable time on his eyes comparing them to those of the man she met earlier.

Neji stiffened slightly at the attention, but remained still while her curiosity got the better of her and she edged nearer and nearer to where he was sitting to get a closer look. Before she realized it, she and he were separated by a mere few inches.

"Hn..." Neji grunted as Tenten quickly composed herself.

"Sorry" she said shyly, "I've seen eyes like yours before and I was wondering what it would look like up close if you did your dojutsu".

Neji wondered whose eyes she had seen earlier. Whoever she was referring to was probably a Hyuuga like he was. He was a bit surprised by her request. Nobody had ever paid a bit of attention to him besides his father before this morning.

In particular, feminine contact itself was limited to his overseeing his small cousin Hinata's training with her father. It was appealing that this one little girl was just as interested in him as he was intrigued by her. "I will allow you to see my Byakugan up close, if you promise to do something for me."

Tenten pondered this. "It depends on what I need to promise".

Neji nodded, glad that she wasn't blindly agreeing to his proposal. "Become my training partner and not only will I let you see my dojutsu, but I will also provide you lunch."

Tilting her head to the right side, Tenten closed her eyes as she considered his offer, furrowing her brow. All in all it was a win-win situation. By herself, it would probably take her twice as much time to improve her strength. A partner would be ideal in fulfilling her goal to become strong like Tsunade-sama.

In addition, the offer of providing lunch was very tempting - she wouldn't have to spend extra money that she didn't have on food for lunch, which was actually one of the main reasons that she hadn't brought it in today (in addition to the fact that she didn't like the reminder that mother would have done this for her had she been alive).

In the back of her mind, she also thought her mother would have approved of the pairing considering her apparent closeness with the man with the white eyes. She gave a slight nod of agreement after a moment, and Neji's eyes reflected his satisfaction with the decision.

"So... show me." Tenten requested softly.

"Byakugan!" Neji breathed the word and his eyes and surrounding facial features reflected the use of chakra. Vein-like entities appeared leading to his eyes and the normally undisturbed paleness was supplemented with a more defined iris.

Tenten stared into his eyes observing the changes as they happened. She tentatively reached out to touch one of the sides of his head giving him enough time to stop her if he so chose. Instead, he remained still and closed his eyes as she let her fingers delicately trail along the lines which fed the chakra to his eyes.

The flow of chakra was easily felt. "It seems like it has its own pulse", Tenten thought to herself as the contained chakra thrummed underneath her fingertips. "Does it hurt?" she questioned. She couldn't imagine how it would feel especially with the visual changes that occurred to his body.

Neji paused before responding. It was difficult to describe something to someone when they had no way of experiencing it themselves and he tried to word his reply in a way that she would be able to understand and relate to.

"I suppose it is very much like how you feel when your heart is beating very fast and you feel the blood rushing through your veins. There is a slight pressure around my eyes and it doesn't normally hurt at all. However, just like when your body shuts down if it has low blood pressure and is not able to supply the blood to the rest of your body, my body also responds similarly if I run out of my chakra supply while using the Byakugan".

Tenten appeared to be thinking to herself as Neji gave his explanation, unconsciously checking the pulse by putting two fingers across the indentation under the thumb of her left hand. She nodded in understanding and he let the veins recede from his forehead and his eyes resume to their original state.

Neji began packing up the remnants of their meal in order to leave for the training area, but was halted before his back fully turned back to the path to the Academy.

"Wait --" Tenten said abruptly, "I still need to keep up my end of the bargain, right? Let's start our first training session today. First, let me see what you can do." Tenten said aiming a look at the target in front of them and proffering him one of her kunai.

Neji deftly grasp the handle of the kunai, his fingers hesitantly steadying the weapon in his hand. His family's style of fighting was more geared toward hand-to-hand taijutsu combined with the effective use of their kekkai genkai (bloodline limit) and although he had been drilled in the theory of using such weapons, ninjutsu, and genjutsu, his application of these, especially the first was lacking.

He had once heard his uncle having a discussion with his father over the benefits of using such weapons in addition to those that they were naturally born with (their hands and eyes). His uncle had firmly stated, "There is no need for use of such playthings". In the end, his father and his uncle had agreed to disagree.

As he let the kunai fly towards the target, he inwardly winced knowing that the result showed that his skills were indeed lacking in this area. Tenten looked appraisingly at the target and at Neji, mentally reviewing his technique and thinking of the best way to correct it.

She walked towards the target and pulled the kunai out, going back and handing it back to Neji.

"Not bad" she said, a smile lighting her face encouragingly. "Try again."

Neji was glad that Tenten had not taken this moment to gloat over her superiority as others might, not that he expected that she would have given his limited knowledge of her. Once again the kunai was in his hand and Neji glanced at the target willing the kunai to hit it.

He tried to analyze the earlier throw and compensate appropriately this time. However, before he could let the kunai go, he felt something smooth and warm enclose his fingers, gently positioning them around the metal instrument. For some reason, the placement just felt "right".

Turning his eyes toward his hand he realized that Tenten was beside him, guiding him into the throw. "Like this..." she said as she gently pulled his hand back before whispering, "Now."

As the bell rang signaling that lunch time was over, all of the students returned to their classrooms. In a secluded training ground, a lone kunai could be found in the center of a target.


	6. Meditating on Fate

**Title: **Who You Must Protect

**Author: **Matahari

**Rating: **T (just in case)

**Pairing: **Neji/Tenten (may include other minor pairings in the future)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Naruto anime, manga, plotlines, or any of the characters therein (translate to Japanese please). :)

**Chapter Upload Date: 12/06/06**

**Author's Note: **I think that I managed to update this a little sooner... no:) I think the ending is sort of ominous, but hopefully it will make you readers interested in the next chapter! I'm tricky, see? Anyway, LOVED the review response last time. Thank you EshtarWind, Cliff Hanger and Pluki-Kun, Shikyo Yaiba, I like cookies (put in periods in between), RedBrick, Naruto 116, OMGItzvicky, Neji's Number 1 Fan Girl, anonymous, Aieronna, and 'A'lusy for your reviews last time! This chapter is dedicated to YOU! Hopefully it's good enough... -bows- I'm not worthy!!! -bursts out in tears- (I think I've seen too much of Rock Lee... he's rubbing off on me).

_Recap from Last Chapter..._

Turning his eyes toward his hand he realized that Tenten was beside him, guiding him into the throw. "Like this..." she said as she gently pulled his hand back before whispering, "Now."

As the bell rang signaling that lunch time was over, all of the students returned to their classrooms. In a secluded training ground, a lone kunai could be found in the center of a target.

**Chapter 6: Meditating on Fate  
**

The days passed quickly by and Tenten and Neji kept the pact that had been created that day on the training ground.

They would start out with devouring some of Neji's fantastic lunches and then focus on training.

At first it was just weapons, which Neji himself benefited from immensely. There was now some practical emphasis to the theoretical information he had once absorbed.

Tenten would go on and on about the merits of one weapon over another in an excited voice all the while deftly placing his fingers, hands, arms, shoulders... any particular body part that was necessary in the right position for use.

Neji couldn't help but feel slightly in awe of his new teacher and while he kept mostly quiet during these lectures, he listened very attentively to everything that was said.

Although, it could be up to debate whether he listened more for the information imparted or to hear the soft melodic lilt of her voice as she discussed the things she loved.

As they went through the basic weapons (kunai, shuriken, and senbon), the "lessons" were interspersed with the both of them practicing the jutsus they had learned in class before.

Neji would help her with genjutsu even though they both weren't very good at it (in comparison to everything else).

Occasionally, they would work together on their ninjutsu and while they were fairly adept at it, they liked to train most in their specialized skills.

Since both of their talents were based on good amount of taijutsu, it was understandable that a lot of the time was also spent on strengthening and endurance exercises.

Neji got into the habit of jogging over to Tenten's house in the morning and then going with her to school.

At the end of school, he and she would jog back together towards her house and he would makes his way back to the Hyuuga compound.

This was supplemented by them helping each other stretch, do push-ups, sit-ups, etc.

Another thing that they liked to do together was meditate - once Neji had taught Tenten how to do it properly, of course.

Neji had instructed Tenten to close her eyes, which she did grudgingly saying, "It's not fair! Even if you have your eyes closed you could see anything, anyway because of your Byakugan!"

Although, the only reason he was doing so was because he was overseeing her progress and she tended to open her eyes every once and awhile to glare at him before finally giving up her fidgeting.

When she had finally been still for a significant amount of time, Neji decided it was time to attempt breathing exercises.

"OK. Now, take a deep breath just through your nose as long as you can."

Tenten did as told and her chest swelled with the expansion of her lungs filling up with the air she had just inhaled.

When she started to seem to run out of room and was barely holding her breath, Neji then commanded, "Now, breathe out slowly through your mouth".

The air came out a little bit quickly at first, but she managed to catch herself and the rest was released at a much slower rate.

"Now, repeat it for about ten times." He gazed at her briefly, her eyes were closed and she was sitting cross-legged on the grass.

A tendril of hair was hanging out of place just barely touching the side of her mouth.

As Tenten performed the breathing exercises, Neji was very tempted to move the stray strand back in place.

As he reached out to push it behind her ear, she opened her eyes suddenly shaking her head and asked, "My head feels fuzzy... What's the point of this again?"

Neji quickly retracted his arm and recited trying to take the attention off of himself, "Meditation is a way for you to make your mind more focused and calm. A shinobi must be able to have a clear mind to make split second decisions in battle. Also, it relaxes the body and destresses the mind, all of which help in maintaining your health."

"Oh yeah... " she replied tilting her head from side to side as if to see whether what she had just done had any effect. "I suppose you're right, Neji. As always..." she added, with a grin.

Neji blushed and Tenten smiled. She always teased him about being a genius while all the other children "admired" or rather _feared_ him from afar. She made him feel NORMAL.

She loved the fact that she could be herself with him and that she was on her way to fulfilling her dreams.

The way that they helped and learned from each other distracted her from the fact that her mother had died, which was what she really needed.

Tales of what the both of them could do was whispered about in the playground (supplemented by stories about this one kid who couldn't do anything but taijutsu).

At an age where most children thought that the opposite sex had cooties, it would seem strange to some people that Neji and Tenten grew closer and closer as time went by.

Considering the experiences that both Neji and Tenten had it wasn't that unlikely. Both were mature beyond their years.

In looking at their lives, it seemed that whatever plan Fate had, it had not led to a happy beginning.

Neji was a branch house member of the Hyuuga family due to the fact that his father was born just one second after his uncle meaning that at a moment's notice a main house member could activate his curse seal and he would die a horrible and painful death as his brain cells essentially fried to a crisp.

Tenten had lost both of her parents before she had even gone to school and was basically supporting herself.

Whatever the ending would be, Fate was not finished yet.


	7. Burning Cages

**Title: **Who You Must Protect  
**Author: **Matahari  
**Rating: **T (just in case)  
**Pairing: **Neji/Tenten (may include other minor pairings in the future)  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Naruto anime, manga, plotlines, or any of the characters therein (translate to Japanese please). :)

**Chapter Upload Date: 1/21/07**

**Author's Note: **This took much longer than I anticipated, but I managed to get sick for about two weeks and I was on medication. Luckily, thanks to some really insightful reviews, I can hopefully give you a good chapter. Please keep the reviews coming. I really take them seriously and try my best to improve myself. The last chapter was not one of my best, but that goes to show you shouldn't write something just because you need to get another chapter up:)

_Matahari _

_Recap from Last Chapter..._

Whatever the ending would be, Fate was not finished yet.

**Chapter 7: Burning Cages**

The first day Tenten caught a glimpse of the cursed seal upon his head was when he had come in sick with fever. Rather than staying in the Hyuuga manor and being fussed about by the maids, he had opted to go to the Academy instead. The normal morning run took more out of him than usual and he struggled to look composed when he ran her bell to alert her to his presence.

She had observed how he had seemed a little out of breath when he had arrived at her house in the morning and the normally brisk pace they took was noticeably slower. His focus had been off all day during their lessons as she noticed his eyes blinking rapidly to stay awake when he would usually be the one to nudge her when she was daydreaming. The amount of "Hn"'s doubled the other words spoken between them as they went off to their secluded corner of the world to spar.

Today they had planned to do an intense training session in which they would both hide amongst the foliage and she would track and attack him with weapons as he tried to dodge or deflect the blows while keeping himself aware of any traps she may have set. After a "Byakugan" both of them rushed to conceal their location and Tenten delicately laid a some exploding tags and rigged a few kunai traps along the way (smoke bombs and flares would be somewhat useless) as she heard a faint rustle as a bird flew from one of the trees close to the northern end of the training area.

She wondered whether she should attack. The bird could have flown away for other reasons and to make the first move from this far would leave her vulnerable. Although Neji's long-distance aiming was not as good as hers, she was already at a disadvantage because he could see within a diameter of about 7 meters around him because of that blasted Byakugan bloodline trait of his. Also, his aim was still above average and his ability to close her chakra points at close proximity continued to improve.

In a split second decision, she raced towards where she thought him to be - silently, swiftly as a learned predator stalking its prey until she neared what would be the distance of his field of vision in which she let it all fly - the three kunai in each of her hands, the shuriken that had been prepped for the second round and finally the multitude of senbon hidden amongst her buns and clenched between her teeth. Her heart beat noisily within her chest as her pulse quickened with the thrill of the hunt. She loved these moments where the risk was the highest and the adrenaline pumped through her veins.

Not one to hide in the shadows anymore than necessary, Neji also let loose his weaponry, which were aimed at where Tenten had been when she had released her arsenal, but she had long left the location. Suddenly it was quiet again. The weapons littering the floor the only proof that anything had occurred a few seconds earlier. Tenten caught her breath and willed the beat of her heart to stop racing lest Neji was able to hear it.

Neji's chest was pounding as well as he desperately searched for Tenten. His head had started to ache and the heat from his fever had not subsided. A moment later, a rustling was heard within the bushes, yet, he could not see what had caused the disturbance. It had been very close behind him... was his Byakugan malfunctioning? Was it his fever? Fearing that he had been ambushed, Neji rushed towards the area only to find a small bird caught amongst the branches. However, before he could let the bird free, a kunai shot through the dark cutting an escape for the creature. The next second he found the kunai's twin next to his throat held by its owner as she grinned, "Match."

"Again." had been his only response.

So, they had completed another round with Neji as the victor this time. However, as he lowered the kunai he had been holding next to her throat, he had started violently coughing until he had collapsed from strain. Tenten was not completely surprised given the clues he had exhibited earlier and had quickly dragged him towards the clearing in order to get her emergency medical kit. Before they had started the spar, she had suggested they skip their training session for the day as she was concerned for his welfare, but he had stood firm - stubbornly saying she was just trying to get out of her end of the bargain as he set out their lunch on the still dewy grass.

She contemplated how someone who was so smart could also be so incredibly stupid. Indeed, the time that she had spent with the Hyuuga genius had resulted in him being placed on a pedestal just underneath the one on which the Sannin Tsunade and her mother possessed. Upon reflection, none of them were perfect, yet she supposed that their ability to be and do so much despite their inadequacies and weaknesses were what was really important in life. Upon placing the backside of her hand on his head, she realized he was burning up. She had never before asked about the bandages Neji had worn on his head since she met him.

Ninja families had all sorts of rules which governed the way their hair was styled, what jewelry they had, the markings on their body, and the type of clothing they wore. Since Tenten hadn't known any other Hyuuga besides the man she had met earlier, she had just assumed that this was an example of the Hyuuga dress code. As far as she knew, it was a clan secret to keep their heads from getting sweaty or it covered a third eye.

However, third eye or not, it was getting in the way of a cold compress and she swiftly undid the bandages and reach over to get the small towel in the kit. With a small ninjutsu, "Kourimizu-supure" (_ice water_ _spray_), the towel become moist and cool as she rolled it to place it on his forehead. However, before she could complete her task, she paused at the sight of a strange decoration adorning his forehead.

A tattoo of sorts with a hooked lines, one facing up and one facing down, leading to a center containing a bent cross of sorts all colored in a turquoise blue (_P.S. I'm using the manga version of the design)_. Mopping his brow, she grazed a fingernail and saw that it was indeed imprinted onto the skin and a slight electric jolt of pain accompanied her touch. Leaving the towel, she covered him with a blanket as she heard the ring of the bell signaling the end to lunch.

When Neji came to, he sat up noting the position of the sun in the sky and realizing that it was near the end of the school day. As a cool towel landed on his lap and his hand flew to his forehead. Not paying attention to the absence of his fever, he let his emotions fly free. "Tenten..." he growled, for once loosing his cool with the future kunoichi.

However, this quickly dissipated when he saw her laying next to him next to an opened medical kit curled up in a fetal position for warmth and the blanket that should have covered her on top of _him_. A little more objectivity entered his mind and he concluded that she must have been taking care of him. Taking off the blanket, he laid it over Tenten's body as he took some bandages from the kit to mask his forehead once again.

_Flashback  
It should have been a happy day. After all, his cousin had just turned three and all the Hyuuga had stayed within the manor for the auspicious occasion instead of attending the Festival celebrating the new treaty between the Fire and Lightning countries. His father had seemed tense the entire morning and he had urged him to play all of his favorite games the day before and eat his favorite foods for dinner and breakfast. When his father had told him that he was supposed to finally meet his cousin for her birthday, he thought that this was all a part of the birthday festivities._

_When the time finally came to greet his cousin, the members of the Branch family met with the Hiashi-sama and the rest of the Main family in the middle of a courtyard. He never understood the difference between the families... weren't they all related? Even his father was the twin brother of Hiashi-sama so why were they constantly separated?_

_His cousin, Hinata had white Hyuuga eyes and uncommonly navy blue hair which was cut short close the her neck. A pink kimono with flames licking the fringes was wrapped around her like a blanket and she stood shyly behind her father's leg holding his hand. She was a cute innocent-looking child and he told his father so, not understanding when he received a sharp glance which quickly softened._

_His uncle led him towards a dark room lit up by many torches which lined the walls. In the center of the room stood a single flat circle where a lone paintbrush and inkwell were placed. and the stairs that surrounded it were decorated with designs and markings which he didn't recognize. Neji was an obedient child so when they asked for him to take off his shirt and sit still within the circle he did as he was told._

_Hinata had followed her father to this place and she was instructed to put specific markings leading from his upper chest to his forehead. Her hand trembled slightly with the brush, but it steadied upon a stern reprimand from Hiashi. When the brush had again been laid aside, Hiashi placed Hinata's palm on his forehead and whispered words for her to repeat. She did as commanded and shocking light blinded him for a second accompanied by a sharp pain starting from his head and spreading throughout his body._

_He found himself spread-eagled on the floor, tremors shaking through him, as he panted for breath, tears flowing from his eyes. Hinata too had experienced some pain as she collapsed on the ground, sobbing. "Cover your forehead with this." Hiashi said giving Neji a set of bandages. Before he departed, he also added, "Hyuugas do not show emotion", although his eyes bespoke a sort of pity. To whom this was directed at was uncertain. However, Hinata quickly pushed herself off the ground and hiccuped while attempting to stem her tears. She was used to dealing with this behavior. Neji too had stopped and only slight pants told of what he had just experienced._

_That night, his father brought him to a mirror and helped him undo his bandages while he took off his hitai-ite revealing twin marks. "A meaning of the design on us is a revolving sun. As you know, the Hyuugas are closely tied to the sun and one of the upper-level techniques available to the main family, who we are born to protect, is the Hakkeshō Kaiten in which the user has the ability to protect themselves with chakra coming out of their hands by spinning rapidly. But another meaning is related to a comet. Do you know what a comet is?" Hizashi asked his son._

_"No, father."  
_  
_"It is a falling star that leaves a trail or tail of light in its wake. There was once a comet, which looked that what is in the middle of both of our foreheads. They called it the long tailed pheasant star because it looked like a bird's foot. We too are birds now, and this mark cages us. But Neji, we must do what we can within our cages. Caged birds too can become powerful. You must not be controlled by it."_

_End Flashback_

When Tenten woke up, it was midnight and she felt herself in her own bed. She smiled and whispered, "Arigato, Neji" before she again nodded back to sleep. Neji stepped out from the corner of the room where had had been standing and closed the lamp, leaving for the night, "Arigato, Tenten".  
**  
Note to Readers: **Thank you to all the reveiwers last time. I really do apreciate all your responses. Someday I'm going to send review replies! Anyway, I'm listing my comments to each reviewer and for others I'm listing one to two stories of theirs which I have enjoyed.

Shikyo Yaiba - Sorry for being so slow with the suspense! I'm stepping back a little bit, but I'm going to lead up to a life-changing event. :) Some recommended stories: "Bandages" & "Wind" (sequel). Let's just say the first one has Neji requesting Tenten to take her shirt off to bandage a wound (very angsty and cute, whew!) and the second one features Tenten with new and improved powers to pay him back for his defeat in the first one.

Cliff Hanger and Plui-Kun - Glad you liked the ending sentence. You are very good at the cliff-hangers if I remember correctly! Recommended story: "NEVER! Dare You're: ExGirlfriend To Do Anything!" which is a oneshot with where Neji dares Tenten (his ex-girlfriend) to kiss someone (Sasuke). Funny!

EshtarWind - Thanks for reviewing! Here's the update. Recomended story: "A Story of a Family". While this story is over with, if you haven't read it you'll enjoy the fluffy Nejiten moments as well as the strong relationship development between the other genin and Tenten proving that you don't have to be related by blood to be family.

Aireonna - I'm sorry you'll have to wait a little bit until they get older - although they are getting older, just slowly:) No Naruto stories, but I just realized you are a fellow Roswell fanatic! ;)

Alucius - More stepping into the past is going to happen, so let me know if I'm still doing ok!

writingkage231 - I love you for saying that you love the story! I agree Nejiten is the cutest! Recommended story: "How one heart turns cold" - SasukeOC starting with him at Orochimaru's place and coming back to Konoha with a changed life and a new love?

'A'lusy - I'm going to continue while they're young, but a jump forward is coming VERY soon. Recommended story: "The Only Christmas Present". This is such an utterly sweet story about when Neji comes back almost dead from the failed Sasuke mission. Distraught over Neji's condition, Lee gives her the best present she could ask for... NejiTen christmas-flavored fluffiness.

nejitenfan - Love the name. Here's the update! I saw your "Life or Death the Way of the Ninja" story, but there's only about five sentences! Good sentences though. It looks like it will become an intriguing read, especially if you make it Nejiten!

pinky - Thanks for the compliment!

elegant-shining-moon - Your wish is my command! POOF an update appears! Fic: "transformation" is a good story which centers around Neji realizing that Tenten turns into a cat from 9-12 at night. The twist is that she doesn't remember what happens in her feline form.

neji-gaara-fanatic - Thanks for the compliment!

Neji's fangirl - Thank you so much! Hope you're also happy with this chapter!

MyFallenAngel - Thank you for the nice constructive criticism. Recommended Fic: " "Dating Prodigies" where a very well-done Neji, Tenten, and Sasuke triangle is featured and "His Bride to Be" where Tenten has to learn the Hyuuga ways, e.g. never saying sorry and instead apologizing while being sabotaged by a jealous female within the Main family and subsequently being banned. Will they be able to defy the odds even with Hinata's help?

Rurouni Tyriel - Thank you for the excellent compliment, I'm really blushing here. I hope you appreciate the longer fic this time. Recommended Fic: "Uzumaki Chronicles: Hyuuga's Edge" shows a time when Neji must depend on his teammates (Tenten and Naruto) to obtain stolen artifacts from the Hyuuga manor. What will happen when they must fight against someone who has the knowledge to control Neji's curse seal? What is the importance of the legedary sword, "Hyuuga's Edge" and why can only Neji and Tenten use it?

Aventri - Thank you so much for your constructive criticism. I appreciate your going through each of the chapters and I'm sorry you had to end with dissapointment. I sincerely took your criticism to heart and realized that I was going against my usual style. Recommended fic: "White Eyes in the Darkness" in which Neji is haunted by dreams of a man who threatens to take away everything he holds dear. Great suspense and Neji POV fic.

Wise Angel192 - Thank you for reviewing the chapters:) Glad you've caught up and it's never too late to review. Recommended Fic: "Green Tea Leaves". What happens when Tenten reads Neji's tea leaves? What does the future have in store for him?

Pandapple-Chan - Thanks so much for the positive review! YOU are awesome! Recommended FIc: "Jersey Girl". Tenten comes to a new school where only boys are allowed on the sports teams. Sort of AU, but still with ninja powers. When Tenten beats Neji during a fight in gym, she inspires the girls to excel as well and shows the guys that girls can be just as good, if not better.


	8. Metallic Flowers and Lee

**Title: **Who You Must Protect

**Author: **Matahari

**Rating: **T (just in case)

**Pairing: **Neji/Tenten (may include other minor pairings in the future)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Naruto anime, manga, plotlines, or any of the characters therein (translate to Japanese please). :)

**Chapter Upload Date: 02/02/07**

**Author's Note: **Happy Groundhog's Day to those in the US! This chapter is much longer, but not too many flashbacks. I'm trying to introduce a new character, plus set up the story for a big plot element coming in the next chapter. Please let me know if I'm still on the right track. :) BTW... is anyone else upset that Tenten was left out of the latest filler arc (up to 218)?

_Recap from Last Chapter..._

When Tenten woke up, it was midnight and she felt herself in her own bed. She smiled and whispered, "Arigato, Neji" before she again nodded back to sleep. Neji stepped out from the corner of the room where had had been standing and closed the lamp, leaving for the night, "Arigato, Tenten".

**Chapter 8: Metallic Flowers and Lee**

A "THUNK!" was heard as Tenten greeted Neji at their training ground. "Hey, Neji. Sorry I was late. I had to discuss my flower arrangement project with my sensei. Some people are so close-minded."

Neji raised an eyebrow in question. Recently the girls in the class were separated to undergo kunoichi training while the boys underwent "shinobi training". So far, he had learned a multitude of different topics such as "female issues", creating a fire, and how to "look manly" while not walking like a ninja. The last time Tenten had attended the kunoichi training, she had shown up for their sparring practice in a kimono running... ahem... hopping as fast as she could while simultaneously trying to grab at the ornate bow tied on her back.

_Flashback_  
_"Just give me a kunai, Neji! This thing is coming off if it's the last thing I do!", Tenten cried in frustration as she collapsed on the ground in a huff. Neji just smirked as he looked at her helpless state and shaking his head he helped her untie the obi constricting her movement. He observed Tenten giving a sigh of relief before she settled herself down happily on the ground in her every day clothes ready to eat lunch._  
_End Flashback_

Today he was greeted with a large contraption composed, for the most part, of weapons. It's base consisted of a piece cut out of a large branch looking like a miniaturized tree stump. Embedded within the top of the "stump" were two thin daggers placed parallel to each other. Crisscrossed along the handles and the daggers themselves was chakra wire, and neatly attached were multiple shurikan and kunai. If one looked from far away, it almost seemed like the shurikan were flower petals and the kunai, leaves on glittering stems. In addition, tens to hundreds of senbon were used to simulate grass, with each one facing a different angle. To complete the look, small bells of white flowers (heather) hung from the middle of each shurikan.

To a normal person, it would look more like an arsenal than a flower arrangement. "I made it for you, Neji." she said with a smile. Then in the same breath, "You better appreciate it too because I went through a lot of trouble. Most of the other girls made fun of me, but I don't care!" she exclaimed defiantly. "Sensei's only rules were that it was supposed to have flowers and be made of natural material. Metal is completely natural! At least as natural as bamboo... and grass..." she trailed off. "Right, Neji?" she asked looking up at him, suddenly unsure of herself.

Only the girl in front of him could come up with a way to mix flower arrangement with her favorite topic - weapons. Granted, it probably wouldn't help her blend in with civilians, but it was the most interesting thing done with flora that he had ever seen in his life. He honestly told her, "It's a masterpiece." Neji grazed the tiny white flowers with his fingertips curiously. "So, what is the significance of these?"

"Oh..." Tenten began shyly. "Well, when I first saw them, I immediately thought of your eyes. You know, really really white. They also look like bells which are cheerful things, but at the same time they almost seem like tear drops. You're that way too. You put on a mask for everyone. Even me. But I know that there is some sort of sadness or pain lying underneath."

Neji looked shocked for a moment, but before he could even think of a rebuttal to her statement, she continued. "It's ok. I'm like that too." And for the first time, he noticed that although she was smiling, the smile never reached her eyes.

"Also, the flowers also have two meanings: good luck and protection. I promise that I will use my weapons and keep on becoming stronger to protect everyone that I care about." she continued in a whisper, "starting with you."

Neji paused for a minute, still not knowing what to say. Although she had no idea, he knew that she was basically alone in the world. But he never before considered that he was the sole anchor that tied her to it. Also, while he was often tasked with protecting someone, he had never considered how it would feel like if someone besides his father took up that role for him. "Thank you." was all he could speak, but it felt insufficient.

When an uneasy silence settled over the two, Tenten tried to lighten the mood. "Well, don't thank me yet. I heard that next week we're supposed to be cooking high-end Japanese delicacies and you're going to be my test subject!"

There was a slight pause on Neji's part and he gave a small smirk. "Well... I have been looking for an opportunity to test out that poison-detection jutsu."

Tenten erupted in giggles. She knew everything was all right between them.

_Later that day..._

"Ok everyone! Tomorrow you are not expected to come in to school." Mizuki-sensei announced loudly. As cheering began to erupt from amongst the children in the class, Iruka-sensei added, "Because you're all going to be pairing up with another student and finding out more about them, their families, and their way of life."

This was immediately followed by a multitude of sighs. Someone grumbled, "I knew it was too good to be true."

As the bell rang and everyone was about to run out of the room, Iruka-sensei reminded them to, "Please pick up one of the sheets on the table before leaving and choose a partner. Since the class is uneven, the person who is left will be paired up with a jounin who was nice enough to offer his assistance." Suddenly there was a great commotion. People were stumbling over bags and pushing amongst themselves to find their partners for the "project". Nobody wanted to be the one left without a student partner.

Neji and Tenten watched this all in amusement since the minute Iruka-sensei had mentioned that they were going to be paired with another student they had quickly exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. When the chaos had ended, they noticed that a lone boy remained at table looking dejectedly at the sheet he had picked up. Iruka-sensei had tried to make pleasant conversation with him as he told him the jounin's name, Maito Gai, and how to get in touch with him before Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei both left for the day. His spiky black hair looked mussed and he had a white band on his head and a white kimono-type shirt with brown along the edging. His most prominent feature were his thick dark eyebrows which accentuated his big round eyes.

Tenten felt sorry for the boy. If Neji and she didn't have each other, they might have easily been the one's left behind.

"That's Rock Lee." Neji said simply noticing what had her attention. "He's decent at taijutsu, but I don't think I've ever seen him do an ounce of ninjutsu or even genjutsu."

"I know. You do realize that not everyone is as gifted as you, Neji." she said softly, "You may not know what it feels like, but the other kids tease him a lot... Come on." Before he could protest, she had attached her fingers to his shirt and was dragging him towards where Rock Lee sat.

"Hi, you're Rock Lee, right? I'm Tenten, and this statue here," she pulled Neji a little closer, "is Neji."

"Hn." Neji supplied.

Rock Lee eye's remained fixed on the top of his desk and a quavering voice answered, "Yes. I'm Rock Lee. Hi Tenten, Neji."

Neji pretended to avoid the tears that were threatening to fall from the boy's eyes- any sort of emotion on a shinobi was disgraceful.

Letting go of her grasp on Neji, Tenten laid a hand on Lee's shoulder comfortingly. "You know, you're really lucky to be getting a jounin for a partner." she said winking brightly at him.

"Really?" Lee asked, a hopeful look replacing his previous depressing demeanor.

"Absolutely! I mean, think of all that they probably know. A jounin is the highest level of ninja, so you'll get a lot of interesting new training tips. I'm sure of it! Don't you agree, Neji?", she added nudging Neji as he eyed the room searching for the quickest escape route.

"Hmm..." escaped his lips. Before he could make up an excuse to leave, Lee suddenly said, "You're right! I'll be able to train harder so that I'll surely pass this year! I'm going to go practice right now!" Rejuvenated, he bolted upright and gave Tenten and Neji a hug before running out of the room.

Both Neji and Tenten looked shocked and Neji stayed stock still as if he had been contaminated. Shaking her head, Tenten brushed Neji off with her fingertips. "You're fine, Neji. It was just a hug. Not a super deadly attack."

"Hn. This is what you get for getting involved. Just promise me I won't have to train with him."

"I can't make that promise. You never know what destiny might have in store. So... we'll meet up at my house in the morning?"

"Hn."  
**  
Note to Readers: **Thank you so much for your reviews last time. Please let me know if I'm doing ok - still on track or going completely off base. Thanks to all the readers and reviewers this time especially: Shikyo Yaiba, 'A'lusy, tarzi-kins, Pandapple-chan, Aireonna, nejitenfan, bLoodY vEngEful sOul, Liana Hyuuga (Sorry I couldn't PM you, but thanks for reviewing!), purpleeyednekoyoukai, and Arkana. I really wouldn't continue without all of your support and encouragement. I hope you all got my Review Replies. :) Also, thanks to the 30 people who have this story on story alert and the 17 who have it listed as a favorite:) If you did both you get an extra special thank you with virtual ice cream.


	9. Getting to Know You

**Title:** Who You Must Protect Author: Matahari  
**Rating:** T (just in case)  
**Pairing: **Neji/Tenten (may include other minor pairings in the future)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Naruto anime, manga, plotlines, or any of the characters therein (translate to Japanese please). :)

**Chapter Upload Date: 4/13/07**

**Author's Note: **Sorry for posting this so late! I wanted to get down to the juicy part, but I just didn't make it! It may take one to two chapters for me to get to it, but I'm hoping it's the next one. Sorry it wasn't posted sooner. was giving me issues. I figured out a solution by looking at some forums since the Document Manager wasn't accepting any submissions. Export a previous chapter, delete contents, & paste new chapter!

**Recap from Last Chapter... **

"I can't make that promise. You never know what destiny might have in store. So... we'll meet up at my house in the morning?"

"Hn."

**Chapter 9:** **Getting to Know You**

"Come in!" Tenten exclaimed as she heard a knock on her door. After pouring some hot water over the jasmine flower and green tea leaves contained within, she placed the teapot on the table along with two small bowls of miso soup, teacups, and plates with plain white rice and strips of nori (seaweed) with a drizzling of soy sauce. She didn't know why she was doing it- Hyuuga Neji was obviously used to more elegant fare, but her mother had always told her the importance of being a good hostess.

Neji carefully opened the door and was welcomed by the aroma of home-cooked food. He carefully took off his sandals and took a moment to gaze at the surroundings. It seemed like a different world. Unlike the austere ambiance of the Hyuuga manor, the walls were accented by beautiful watercolor paintings with bright reds, oranges, yellows, greens, purples and blues hues. There were tatami floors and a few accent rugs which had colors that matched those on the walls. There was little furniture in her home and it was obvious that she lived alone. The "kitchen" took up half of the space and consisted of a mid-sized refrigerator, a oven with stovetop, and a minimalistic counter which separated it from the living area. In this space, a small futon was located in a corner next to an oil lamp. Tenten was currently placing the steaming food on a short oval table in the center of the room. She beckoned him towards the table and he unconsciously went into seiza while she took a more casual position laying her legs to the side.

"You didn't have to do this. I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble."

"Come on, you feed me every single day! It's about time I returned the favor. Besides, I won't always have you to depend on for food will I?" Tenten teased.

Neji paused for a second and then said, "Itadakimasu" taking a sip of his tea without answering her presumably rhetorical question. He'd never had this type of tea before and it was surprising how aromatic the hot liquid was. The apartment itself wasn't quiet; the sounds of activity in the vicinity were obvious. However, it was surprising that he was more at peace here than he ever was in the Hyuuga manor where it seemed like only the chirping of birds distracted from the silence. Grasping some rice and nori in his chopsticks, he placed the food in his mouth, not realizing that Tenten had not yet taken a bite of her own food and was waiting for his reaction. Although it was simple, the combination of flavors was excellent and he closed his eyes in appreciation.

Tenten, however, mistook this to mean that he was putting in extra effort to make sure it went down rather than up and quickly said, "You can tell me if it's not good you know. You don't have to force yourself to eat it. I won't be upset. I know you're used to food being cooked by professional chefs..."

Neji placed a hand over her mouth stopping her from continuing her sentence. "It's delicious. Thank you." Tenten felt her cheeks getting warm and hoped Neji didn't notice. "Ah... well. So, you're interviewing me first right and then I'll interview you?" she asked finally putting some rice in her mouth. Neji took out the sheet Iruka-sensei had given them earlier and glanced at the questions. 'OK... name - I know that, Tenten. Any last name?"

Tenten was chewing her food and a muffled, "mmmhelp amjslawem whleasi" was heard.

"Maybe we'll come back to that later. Uh... family members?" Neji resisted the urge to slap himself after the words spilled out of his mouth. Tenten gulped her rice down loudly at the question. While averting her eyes from his, she murmurred, "I'm sure you noticed that there's not much room in here for a lot of people. No siblings. I never knew my father, but my mother was wonderful. She was kind and strong, beautiful and caring; Anything you could ever hope for in a mother. She was the one who inspired my love for weapons."

Hoping for a question to distract from the depressing thoughts, Neji looked near the bottom of the paper. "So... what's your favorite food?"

Tenten did not stop to consider and quickly answered, "Chinese food, definitely! Although, if I had to choose something Japanese, it would be sesame dango. Not too sweet, just sweet enough."

"I don't like sweet things that much either. Ah... this is going well, the next question is what is your least favorite food."

She smiled, getting more comfortable with this casual line of questioning. "I always avoid the umeboshi whenever you bring it for lunch. I can't tell whether it's more sweet or sour, but whatever ratio it is, I don't think that it works for me."

He smirked, "I'll let the maids know to avoid it later on... and maybe try to include some sesame dango instead?"

"Thanks!" she replied brightly.

"What's next... Birthday?"

"March 9th - I'm a Pisces. Did you know that it's a water sign?" She continued, "Water signs tend to be be very intuitive and have a good handle on their emotions and others. Pisces in particular tend to daydream a lot... which is probably why you always have to tell me to focus at the Academy. They also have tendencies to be psychic, spiritual, and can be creative. It is also widely suggested that they make loyal friends. Aren't you glad you're my friend Neji?"

Neji answered with a smirk and continued, "Hobbies?"

"Well... I'm very interested in fortune telling including astrology, palmistry, and tarot card readings. I'm also pretty good at dancing and I can sing a little - but that's about all of the girly things that I can do".

Neji looked at her dumbstruck. "You can dance?"

"Hey! I'm insulted! I may not be as graceful as you, Neji and the other Hyuugas who are somehow taught from birth to be perfect, but I think I'm at least decent."

Neji smiled at the indignant look on her face. "So... let's see then."

"Let's see what?"

"You dance."

A rose red dusted her cheeks as she replied, "Maybe later... want me to tell your fortune?"

Neji let it go about the dancing, but stored it in the back of his mind to come back to later. "Sure. Besides,those are the end of the questions. There are some other ones like describe where you live, but I can fill in that later."

Tenten ran next to her bedside a picked out a set of cards. They weren't normal playing cards, but rather had watercolor pictures of varying illustrations. "Do you like them?" Tenten asked. "This particular deck is called the "Dragon Tarot". Since this is your first time, I think we'll just do a quick three card spread. The first card indicates your past, the second your present, and the third, your future. So... pick three cards and place them in a row".

Neji placed three cards from the deck and waited for her analysis. Tenten turned the first card over. "The Seven of Wands. That means that you are truly gifted... no kidding. You may have let this affect yourself by making you think that you are invincible or you may let yourself get too smug. That's true! Ok... let's go to the next card. Five of swords. There is going to be misfortune in your life. However, even though you will have misfortune or pitfalls, you must keep your objective and your focus. Even if the most horrible thing happens to you, you will still succeed if you keep yourself in check. For the last one, the future, it is The Star. You will be grievously injured in some way, but it will help you to realize that there needs to be change in your life. That means that sometime in the future, you will reach some sort of self-realization and be... well, the best way to interpret it, is free." Tenten bit her lip slightly. Neji's future seemed to be all right, but there were going to be a lot of potholes along the way according to this reading. Maybe she had missed something?

Neji thought about her last statement. She didn't really know what it meant to him to be free... was it really true or was it just a parlor trick? But what did she mean about so many negative events? Neji shrugged it off. No use worrying about something that wouldn't necessarily happen right? "Thanks, Tenten. That was... interesting. What do you want to do now?"

"Want to spar?" she asked playfully. "Then you owe me lunch at your place!" she said running towards their training ground. Neji sighed and then followed, shaking his head, with a slight smile on his face.

**Note to Readers: Thank you all for sending me reviews and PM's! I really appreciate it and that's truly what kept me going! Anyway, specific thanks to Wise Angel192, KaRiSa, ProdigyGirl19, Fire-Demon-Kirara, nejitenfan, Neji's fangirl, writingkage231, Cliff Hanger and Pluki-kun, bLoodY vEngEfUl sOul, Icha Icha DRagon Wolf, Demonsil, Alusy, Misu-Kaze Hana, Shikyo Yaiba, Emma (anon), and tarzi-kins! Arigatou!**


	10. The Silence of Trading Lives

**Title: **Who You Must Protect  
**Author:** Matahari  
**Rating:** T (just in case)**  
Pairing:** Neji/Tenten (may include other minor pairings in the future)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Naruto anime, manga, plotlines, or any of the characters therein (translate to Japanese please). :)**  
**

**Chapter Upload Date: 06/20/2007**

**Author's Note:** Sorry for being so late with this one! I was caught up with my AU story, and then school and work got really busy. Then the big bad writer's block hit and I've only just recovered. Anyway, hope you like the newest installment. You'll see more of the Hyuuga family this chapter. I tried really hard to display their emotions appropriately given the "uneasy" situation they're going to be put in… please review!

_Recap from Last Chapter..._

"Want to spar?" she asked playfully. "Then you owe me lunch at your place!" she said running towards their training ground. Neji sighed and then followed, shaking his head, with a slight smile on his face.

**Chapter 10: The Silence of Trading Lives**  
_  
At the Training Grounds…_

After their spar, Tenten sighed in contentment and settled herself on a particularly grassy corner of the training area, her back supported by the trunk of a large oak tree.

"Your range is getting much better, Neji. I can't believe that you discovered me that far away. Plus, your aim is improving. I think I lost some of the ability to move my left arm – fix it for me?"

Neji contained a small laugh at the young girl before him. Only Tenten would give a boy a compliment after he managed to make her lose sensation of her limbs. "You just want a free massage" he joked, but grasped her arm anyway with his hands as she closed her eyes in anticipation.

The chakra left his fingertips and entered her body as water flowed through a stream. As the feeling came back to her arm, Tenten slumped further and further down the trunk of the tree as she felt more and more relaxed. "You know, it's almost worth getting beaten by your Jyuuken if you make it so enjoyable afterwards."

"You'll regret saying that when it starts to hurt more." Neji said looking up at the sun noting its position in the sky. "It's around noon… we should get going."

_In the Hyuuga Compound…_

"This is reprehensible!" One of the clansmen cried in dismay, "Why would one of our allies try to abduct the heiress?" 

"You should know better than to expect more. Alliances in these times are only brittle pacts which are more often broken than not. It was unwise to trust Lightning and now we Hyuugas are the ones who will pay the price," an elder responded harshly. "It would be one thing if the intruder was still alive to undergo interrogation. Not to say he deserved to live after trespassing on our compound and attempting to kidnap the heiress, but it would have made it impossible for Lightning to come up with this ridiculous request."

"We have little choice but to do as they ask." Hiashi said with resignation etched on his face. "What is worth more? My life or the lives that would be lost in a conflict between Lightning and Konoha? The answer appears clear."

"There is another option…" the elder countered, as his brother Hizashi rose to face him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hiashi questioned, an uneasiness settling over his countenance.

"Instances such as this are the reason that the branch house exists. Hizashi has offered to take your place."

The calmness in which this was stated chilled Hiashi's blood. It was like the elder was talking about a simple trade of ramen for sushi – not the taking of one life for another. "Hizashi… You can't. I will not allow it." Hiashi ordered, a forcefulness edging his voice.

"You have no say in this matter. It has been decided," the elder chastised the younger clan head as if he were still a child.

A wild-eyed look appeared on the normally calm face of Hyuuga Hiashi. He grabbed a fistful of Hizashi's shirt and forced himself to gaze into his brother's eyes only to be greeted by the contrast of extreme serenity. "Why are you doing this, Hizashi? You, who of all people have hated the head family and what we represent. Why would you give your life for us? Why would you leave Neji without a father?"

The peaceful look on Hizashi's face faltered slightly when his son's name was mentioned, but instantly reaffirmed itself on his face. "For far too long I have shown Neji an ugly side of me – created by my feelings of resentment for the head family. Too often have I felt chained by my existence and I worry that my son will never experience the joys of unfettered flight. I choose not to do this for the head family or the head of the clan, but rather for Konoha, my family, my brother, and my son. And in choosing, I realize that I can finally have what I've wanted ever since we were both separated by the marking on my forehead – true freedom."

Hiashi stared in understanding and at the same time struggled to contain tears, which threatened to fall. He thought back over the years as they had grown. Had he really treated Hizashi like a brother? And now… Hizashi was going to give up everything. His son. His life. Not for the clan. For him. For a brother who had barely treated him as such.

"No. I will not allow it." Hiashi again asserted. However, before he realized what was happening, he felt a chakra pulse enter his chest. As the world became black, Hizashi's face appeared before him and a gentle smile graced his features as he softly said, "It will be done."

Neji crossed the threshold of the main entrance with Tenten at his side. She had never been to the compound before and was amazed at its imposing presence. Several long stretches of ornate stone architecture combined together to form a structure large enough to house the population of a small village. The grounds were also elaborate, with trees, bushes, and flowers accenting the entire estate.

Beauty was combined with function in the numerous training areas that were located throughout the compound. Birds twittered happily next to sparkling clear fountains and the interior design of the building was traditional and clean with occasional vases of flowers on tables and pictures of landscapes. The perfection of the place only seemed to be marred by a single nagging thought – there seemed to be nobody around.

**N****ote to Readers: ** Thanks for your patience everyone! I would especially like to thank all of those who put this story on alert and/or favorites as well as the reviewers. We've reached over 100! Woohoo! I can't believe it! Thanks to Luna N., nejitenfan, Wise Angel192, Chigiri Sasaki, nefaith, newt-ish, Kuro Vanilla, Steffy27, WhiteBird95, Ashley, Lyneia, Alusy, iheartyu.xD, writingkage231, Irene, Neji's fangirl, Demonsil, Shikyo Yaiba, Slim Shady, tarzi-kins, and Aoiro Kuma! Whew! ☺


	11. An Embrace Without Words

**Title: **Who You Must Protect  
**Author:** Matahari  
**Rating:** T (just in case)**  
Pairing:** Neji/Tenten (may include other minor pairings in the future)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Naruto anime, manga, plotlines, or any of the characters therein (translate to Japanese please). :)**  
**

**Chapter Upload Date: 7/14/2007**

**Author's Note:** Some of you mentioned the last time that Neji's father's death is a little out of sync in terms of the time. This is true and was intentionally done with creative license for the plot I had in mind. I thought it would be interesting for Neji and Tenten to have met before this tragic event to see how he would change from the nice and caring boy you've seen in the past chapters to the fate-obsessed Neji from pre-chunnin exams. Hope you enjoy!

_Recap from Last Chapter..._

Beauty was combined with function in the numerous training areas that were located throughout the compound. Birds twittered happily next to sparkling clear fountains and the interior design of the building was traditional and clean with occasional vases of flowers on tables and pictures of landscapes. The perfection of the place only seemed to be marred by a single nagging thought – there seemed to be nobody around.

**Chapter 11: An Embrace Without Words**

_In the Hyuuga Compound..._

Neji led her a kitchen, which turned out to be one of the many rooms that the Hyuugas had multiple copies of throughout the compound. The modern style of the kitchen contrasted with the general traditional look of the other rooms. The cabinets were made of a dark cherry wood with carved filigree for accents. Stainless steel appliances were spread on the large marble countertops which were a slightly darker shade from the floor beneath them. Cut flowers, probably from the many gardens outside were placed decoratively on counters bring some color to the normally neutral room. As Neji started to place out food, Tenten considered asking Neji why everything was so quiet. The only thing stopping her was the fact that she didn't want to insult him. He was also quiet... maybe it was genetic. Or, they could be mind readers and not even have to speak to each other. Not to mention, she was afraid that if she spoke, armed shinobi guards would come rushing at her and place her in a dungeon for daring to break the silence that identified the Hyuuga compound. That is, if they had a dungeon. But, based on what she'd seen, they probably had at least five of them!

As Tenten's eyes darted suspiciously around her trying to find the guards she had convinced herself were there while at the same time concentrating on keeping her mouth shut in a tight line lest give them an excuse to attack, Neji surveyed her curiously thinking the girl had gone crazy from either hunger or the effects of his Jyuuken. Grabbing her jaw lightly and forcing her lips apart, he placed a small piece of onigiri into her now open mouth to handle the first case. Forced to chew the bit of rice, salmon, and seaweed, she almost choked and was about to yell/knock Neji on the head when she was struck with the thought that those very same guards might put her into solitary confinement for doing such a thing - he was their prodigy after all.

Neji had been bracing himself for some sort of verbal or physical retaliation and was surprised when the normally vivacious girl simply folded her hands tightly in her lap and didn't say a word. "Tenten," he asked softly. She raised an eyebrow at him. 'Is something wrong?"

Taking out the pen and using the back of Neji's "information" sheet, she wrote, "Am I allowed to talk?" and slid the paper towards him.

Neji gave her a weird look and said, "Of course."

Tenten, wanting additional clarification, went closer to him and whispered in his ear. "No guards are going to come out of nowhere and throw me in a dungeon if a talk a little loudly or smack you on the head?"

"No..."

"Good." THWACK! The side of Tenten's hand met the back of Neji's head. "That's for almost choking me to death!"

"I was only trying to help! I thought you were acting a little strangely because you hadn't eaten." Neji argued defensively holding her wrists so that she couldn't hit him any more. "By the way, why were being so weird? What's this about guards? And dungeons?"

Sheepishly, Tenten moved one of her newly released arms behind her neck. "Hehehe... nevermind. I was just wondering why it was so quiet over here."

Neji looked contemplative for awhile. "Byakugan! Hmm... It seems like most of the members of the clan are in a meeting room. Wait. Something seems strange. One person is lying on the ground and the others are surrounding him." His range extended to where his father's room was. It was empty. Neji's heart started racing in his chest as a cold chill spread throughout the rest of his body. He suddenly bolted out of the chair he was sitting in and sprinted towards the meeting room, a confused Tenten at his heels.

The doors to the room flew open and he stood stock still ingesting the scene before him. His father... his father was dead and laying unceremoniously on a stretcher as if they meant to dispose of him. Hiashi stood over him with the other clan elders and when he met the young boy's eyes, Neji could see the guilt in Hiashi's gaze. The silence was broken as one of the clan elders directed a comment at Neji empty of emotion and sympathy. "You should be proud of your father. His death allowed the head of the clan to live and has preserved the purity and sanctity of the main branch as was his duty."

By this time, Tenten had caught up with him and also absorbed the situation in front of her. There was a spark of recognition from both Hiashi and Tenten, but it went unnoticed as Neji attempted to calm his raging emotions before his killing intent became obvious. Accusations floated in his mind blaming the clan elders, the main branch, and most of all Hiashi himself. Why should he live while his father died? How could they be this way, when a member of their own clan... a member of their own family... was dead? All he knew right now was that he wanted to be as far away from them as possible. Giving one last sorrowful glance at his father's body knowing it was likely the last time he would ever see him again, he took Tenten's hand in his and started running.

Tenten followed without question as they exited the compound at breakneck speed into their training ground for the second time that day. She stood back as Neji used his Jyuuken on a tree until it was battered, his hands were bleeding, and he collapsed on the ground from exhaustion. Only then, when he was physically spent, did he start to emotionally break down. Slight tremors coursed through his body which was curled up in a fetal position. Meanwhile, cool tears began to drop uncontrollably from his face.

Tenten did not know what the dead Hyuuga meant to Neji - just that he must have been very important to have affected him so. She too remembered that loneliest of lonely nights when she had first learned of her mother's death and the comfort that the now dead man (her mother's partner) had given her. The normally stoic boy now needed the same compassion. So, she embraced him. One small arm wrapping around his side, while the other moved to stroke his hair. His head fell instinctively towards the crook of her neck to bury himself into her warmth. They stayed that way for a long time not exchanging a word until the tears dried on his face, his breathing resumed its even pace, and the welcome world of dreams made him forget the current harsh reality.

**N****ote to Readers: ** Thanks to all of the readers who have been supporting the story (favorites/alerts/reviews). I love you all! Special thanks to reviewers Chigiri Sasaki, Shikyo Yaiba, Alusy, Ashley, EshtarWind, Aoiro Kuma, DysphoricxKun0ichix, Sika'sheart, writingkage231, tarzi-kins, Wise Angel192, Titania400, nejitenfangirl, and B.Q. Sorry if I missed anyone! ☺


	12. Missing Neji

**Title: **Who You Must Protect  
**Author:** Matahari  
**Rating:** T (just in case)**  
Pairing:** Neji/Tenten (may include other minor pairings in the future)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Naruto anime, manga, plotlines, or any of the characters therein (translate to Japanese please). :)**  
**

**Chapter Upload Date: 11/17/2007**

**Author's Note:** Now that I think about it, last chapter was short! To make it up to you, I've got a slightly longer-than-usual chapter. Enjoy:)

_Recap from Last Chapter..._

His head fell instinctively towards the crook of her neck to bury himself into her warmth. They stayed that way for a long time not exchanging a word until the tears dried on his face, his breathing resumed its even pace, and the welcome world of dreams made him forget the current harsh reality.

**Chapter 12: Missing Neji  
**

Tenten awoke in the middle of the training area alone. Neji's warmth still lingered, so she believed that he must have just left. Brushing off the loose dirt and leaves from her clothes, she set off towards her apartment to get clean wondering where he would have gone. She quickly ran some warm water, dressed, and sat on her doorstep waiting for Neji to arrive.

She watched the sun move slowly overhead until she could wait no longer. Rushing towards the Academy, she anxiously glanced at the empty seat beside her and the door to the classroom every few minutes hoping he would be there soon. Instead of Neji, Lee had sat in the seat next to her. He extolled the virtues of Gai-sensei and taken out a small black notebook where he told her he had started to write down valuable "lessons of youth" so they would not be forgotten. He spent the whole time before class thanking her for being so "youthful" and positive the week before. She nodded her head at appropriate times, but really wasn't paying attention. Later, when she wasn't so preoccupied with Neji, she would wonder whether this Gai-sensei was responsible for Lee's new vocabulary.

Before, they realized it, class had started and Lee had no time to move from the seat next to her. Although Lee was undoubtedly more cheerful and upbeat, he couldn't replace Neji. When it was lunchtime, she ran to their training area calling out his name with no response. She didn't even notice that she hadn't eaten the entire day, when, after hours of searching the village, she realized that her apartment was already occupied.

Neji, dirty, tattered, and probably exhausted lay on the floor of her apartment next to her futon. His eyes were closed and his breathing was labored. Seeing his condition, Tenten brought a cloth and a bowl of warm water and started washing his exposed skin. His lips moved in what could have been the words, "Thank you", before he attempted to right himself. "Don't know what I'm doing here… I'll just leave…" was mumbled as Neji weakly began walking towards the door. The next moment, he found a chain whip encircling his waist restricting his movement and binding his arms against him.

"No, Neji. Stay. You need to be taken care of. Let me help you."

Too tired to give any sort of effective protest, Neji let himself be guided into the bathroom. Tenten started to fill the bathtub until it was halfway full with warm (almost hot) water and rose oil and lavender for aromatherapy purposes. She started removing his sandals, socks, and head bandages. Then, closing her eyes she continued with his shirt and pants. With a "You finish the rest" and a toss of a fluffy towel, she grabbed the clothes she had just stripped off and closed the door behind her.

Neji removed the remaining piece of clothing and settled into the bath with a sigh. Breathing deeply, he began to relax. Thoughts had been running through his head the whole day, but this was the first time he had stopped long enough to really think about what was going on. Someone would come for him. He was sure of it. It was not a pleasant thought.

The Hyuuga clan would never let anyone leave the manor of their own "free" will, especially a branch member such as himself. He would be punished for leaving without notice – for barging in and witnessing their crime. He would be the one who would be placed in the wrong, not his father's murderers. The injustice of it all was suffocating and he felt even more trapped than he had ever felt before. Frustration and bitterness threatened to take over, when Tenten's voice traveled to his ears.

"Are you OK?" she asked. "I took care of our clothes so you'll have fresh ones when you get out. And I hope you like miso soup because that's what I'm making for dinner."

"I'll be out soon," Neji responded. His voice surprised him. It was hoarse, disjointed – as broken up as he felt inside. Tenten… she had always been so kind to him. He'd never had anyone who had cared about him like that, except his father and he was sure his mother before that. What would the Hyuuga clan do if they found her with him? Would they threaten her? Interrogate her? Deny him from ever seeing her again? How would he be able to keep his promise to his father to protect her if he was the one who was causing her to be in danger? Faced with the thought, he bolted out of the bath and dried himself with the towel.

Thankfully, Tenten had already laid his dry clothes next to the door. He dressed as quickly as possible and rushed out of the door. "I need to leave". He told Tenten as she confusedly looked at him above two steaming bowls of soup. "Thank you – for everything!" he told her before he ran down the stairs of her apartment complex.

No sooner had he gone three blocks away from her house, one of the main house members managed to catch up with him. "You should be thankful it was I who offered to come and find you. Your uncle is not in the best of moods and other main house members might have found you after an unlucky 'accident'. The only reason they let me go was because I said there was nothing I could do otherwise and everyone is needed for other things – I'm too old now for anything really useful besides small errands such as these."

Neji couldn't help but glare at Hyuuga Hiromasa. The old man was the only main house member who refused to use the curse seal to harm or punish any branch house members, which often left him as alienated as if he wasn't a main house member at all. Yet, even though he had never specifically used the curse seal against anyone, Hiromasa-san could never know what it was truly like to be a branch member – a cursed member of the Hyuuga house. Even now there was a difference. He had obviously used the curse seal to determine his location. What did Neji care that Hiashi-sama was in a bad mood? His father had died.

Hiromasa continued with the conversation, "I noticed that you came from a place with a lovely young girl."

A slight chill froze Neji in place and he slowly turned to regard his relative. Perhaps an act of ignorance would work. "What do you mean?"

An eyebrow arched in typical Hyuuga-style with a silent "You know exactly what I mean" challenge. Seeing that there would be no response, he further added, "You know. The young girl with the brown eyes and hair like a panda's ears. She seems about your age, now that I think of it."

Neji had a small intake of breath. Denial was worth a shot. "The apartment complex that I stopped by to collect myself has many occupants. It is easy to make such a mistake." Hopefully, this statement would dissuade Hiromasa-san from this uncomfortable line of questioning.

The boy was not making this easy for him. "You may wish to conceal things from me, child, but know that I mean you no ill will. Keep in mind your new friendship has not gone unnoticed." Hiromasa continued, "Hiashi-sama desires to see you as soon as you arrive."

This was met with a contemplative silence the extended for the rest of the walk back to the compound.

**N****ote to Readers: **In case you were wondering, the OC's name Hiromasa means "just, broad-minded" in one of the name sites I looked at. Thanks again to all of you who have put this story on favorites/alerts and those who have reviewed. Special thanks to reviewers B.Q., MissBlonde7788, purpleeyednekoyoukai, piixiiestiix, Blossoms of Spring, nejitenfangirl, Alusy, Shikyo Yaiba, Titania400, Chigiri Sasaki, EshtarWind, Aoiro Kuma, tarzi-kins, Aieronna, omurice, writingkage231, Tenten rules x2, xholicx, .Gabby-chan182., Nightshadow Dweller, and Ishasuki Mitochi. It's always nice to see loyal reviewers and welcome new reviewer to this story.☺

BTW Tenten rules - Since I couldn't answer your question via Review Reply: Glad you like the story. Tenten calls Neji a statue because well, she's teasing him. Jyuuken is one of Neji's taijutsu techniques. If you look at wikipedia and Hyuuga Clan or Neji you should be able to find it.


	13. Not Too Proud to Beg

**Title: **Who You Must Protect  
**Author:** Matahari  
**Rating:** T (just in case)**  
Pairing:** Neji/Tenten (may include other minor pairings in the future)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Naruto anime, manga, plotlines, or any of the characters therein (translate to Japanese please). :)**  
**

**Chapter Upload Date: 08/12/2008  
**

**Author's Note:** I have been sitting on this update for a long time in hopes of getting the chance to review it some more/add some more content, but it just didn't happen. I also didn't get a chance to say thank you to all of you who reviewed, favorited, or story-alerted this fanfiction individually. :( To make it up to you all, here's a poem to show my appreciation!

Writing fanfiction is really fun

But takes awhile when you're on the run.

Fantastic readers are the really the best

I wouldn't continue writing for anything less. :)

* * *

_Recap from Last Chapter..._

The boy was not making this easy for him. "You may wish to conceal things from me, child, but know that I mean you no ill will. Keep in mind your new friendship has not gone unnoticed." Hiromasa continued, "Hiashi-sama desires to see you as soon as you arrive." This was met with a contemplative silence the extended for the rest of the walk back to the compound.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Not Too Proud to Beg  
**

The walls echoed with their padding footsteps as the normal clan activity that pervaded the manor was markedly silent. Stopping outside of the clan leader's chambers, Hiromasa gave a series of three short raps before receiving a curt "Enter".

"Hiashi-sama" Hiromasa said while bowing reverently.

Neji's head took a quick dip as he inclined his back the smallest degree. "Hiashi-sama" he mumbled, providing the minimum modicum of respect required.

"Leave us." Hiashi ordered, eyes not leaving his desk. Neji knew better than to suppose that he was the one granted freedom. He watched enviously as Hiromasa-san left the room, not appreciating the last glance Hiromasa gave that was meant to be comforting.

Neji stood in silence as papers rustled and ink was scratched against paper. Although he was feeling anything but patient at the moment, he knew better than to utter a single syllable. With Hiashi-sama, almost anything was preferable to discussion. Finally, the time came when the pen slowed and the movement of papers stilled.

Hiashi raised his head and leveled his gaze towards his young nephew in contemplation. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Not a word escaped Neji's mouth – he knew full well that this sort of question was rhetorical and any kind of answer would be the wrong one. He waited and was rewarded with the pursing of Hiashi's lips. "Your father would be displeased to know his only son deemed himself too important to stay and comfort family after his regrettable loss."

Seething with barely concealed anger at Hiashi's mere implication of knowing how his father would feel in this situation, Neji held his tongue. How dare he even think that he could understand how he felt – that in all of his grief he should have remained in the manor to give _comfort_ to his father's murderers?

And _regrettable?_ That was laugh. Neji was sure the only regrettable part of the whole affair was the fact that Neji had seen his father in the arms of his killer – who also happened to be now, the closest family he had left. The irony in this situation had not escaped his notice.

Hiashi continued smoothly, his words edged in bitterness and ice, "How would he feel to know this is the extent of his legacy? A weak useless boy who would much rather spend time playing with some surname-less commoner rather than becoming the man his father had hoped he would be. Perhaps we should be glad your father has been spared the embarrassment. Not all of us are as lucky. Then again, maybe you are the mirror image of my dear brother – making stupid decisions regardless of whether other people must suffer. Wouldn't he be proud?"

The sarcasm was not lost on Neji and his blood boiled. It was one thing to insult him, but his father – and Tenten? "I must agree with you Hiashi-sama." Hiashi seemed to be taken aback by his quick acceptance, but Neji had not finished. While Neji knew that his next statement would do nothing good, he continued, "Being the mirror image of my father does put me in rather unpleasant company."

A slight narrowing of eyelids, and Hiashi let out what could only be described as a growl. It took everything for Neji not to visibly wince at the noise. Hiashi had understood exactly what Neji was insinuating and had been incensed by the insult.

The next thing Neji knew, he felt a burst of pain spreading quickly from his curse seal throughout his entire body. His stubbornness and self-righteousness were the only things that were keeping him from collapsing on the floor screaming. He tasted the rusty salt from biting his tongue and his gaze never left Hiashi's. However, he could not help the slight trembling of his limbs and the sweat that now ran down his forehead betraying his discomfort and unease.

Hiashi's pride adequately preserved, he continued to speak to Neji as if nothing had happened. "One would hope that decisions that affect the fates of others would be better considered by yourself. Obviously you are not ready to be out in the real world and require the guidance and discipline that only family can provide."

Neji's eyes widened in shock. His thoughts repeated over and over a single word – "No!" He shouldn't have been surprised when one managed to accidentally escape his lips. He could not abandon Tenten… he had to take care of her. His father had given him only one request before he died and if he couldn't do that he would be worthless.

Not only that, but Tenten had really been the only person that he enjoyed being around. She didn't see him in the untouchable and perfect light that every other student and teacher did nor did she treat him like dust beneath her feet such as what was done at the Hyuuga manor.

Neji was not too proud to beg in this situation, but no matter how much he pleaded and asked forgiveness for his harsh words (which he blamed on the emotional impact of his father's death), Hiashi declared his decision final. Neji would be withdrawing from the Academy and home-schooled until the time came for graduation when he would be put into a genin team.

Not wanting his sentence to be worse, Neji bit his lip and waiting until he was formally dismissed when he rushed to his room as quickly as one could while still maintaining some sort of composure.

There would be no more advice and hugs from his father. He had come to terms with that. But now… he also wouldn't be able to listen to Tenten's unique view of the world, be surprised by a new technique she had up her sleeve, see her enjoy the lunch that he provided each day, or feel the warmth of her comforting smile or touch. As he lay in bed, his head was covered with a pillow to drown out his sobs.

Hiashi remained, looking down at his hands as if there was blood on them. He had initially intended to comfort the boy – to welcome him as the son he had never had and give him the letter his father had hastily written. But his nephew's stubbornness couldn't help but remind him of his brother and the foolish decision to die in his stead.

His temper got ahead of him and while he had meant all along to train Neji himself at home, the reasons he had given him had made it seem like a punishment. Placing his head in his hands, he whispered to the heavens, "Hizashi… What have I done?"

**N****ote to Readers: **Thanks for reading! I love you guys!**  
**


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